Today is a sad day at Disney World. DinoLand U.S.A. is officially closing, and today marks the last day to experience the land.
DINOSAUR
It’s been slowly closing in phases, so we’ve already said goodbye to other experiences such as TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures (which I’m still not over), The Boneyard, Trilo-Bites, and Dino-Bite Snacks, but it doesn’t make it any less hard to officially say goodbye. Come with us for the final day of DinoLand in Animal Kingdom.
First, we have to go over the sad details! All of DinoLand will be closed as of February 2nd, so we’re spending the day the best way we know how — by experiencing it all! When we got there, it looked like everyone else had the same idea. Rope drop crowds in Animal Kingdom were NO JOKE today. Yes, it’s freezing cold, but that hasn’t stopped anyone.
Pretty big rope drop crowds!
When we made our way towards DinoLand, there were a lot of people doing the same, so we’d say at least half of the rope drop crowds were making their way over to say goodbye to the land and ride Dinosaur one last time.
The crowds heading towards DINOSAUR
It’s the final day to experience Restaurantosaurus, which was a fan favorite restaurant. We always loved how easy it was to grab a table, since there was seating on both sides and an outdoor section, and it was our go-to spot for classic foods like burgers and chicken tenders.
Restaurantosaurus
Let’s all say goodbye to DINOSAUR together. This is the final ride in the land to close, and it will be transformed into an Indiana Jones attraction, similar to the one in Disneyland. We’re happy to report that it will be a different storyline than the one in Disneyland, so we’re excited to see the differences (and maybe a nod to DINOSAUR?). We hopped in what seemed to be a pretty intimidating line for the ride, but it’s moving along…
The line outside
The wait time was 65 minutes, which is pretty wild! This ride usually didn’t have waits above 20 minutes, but that’s not true for the final day. For what may be the first time ever, Dinosaur has a longer wait time than Flight of Passage in Pandora.
©Disney
However, by 12:30 PM, that wait time was up to a whopping 180 minutes!
©Disney
A little after 3 PM, the ride wait time was up to 245 minutes! That’s a 4-hour wait!
©Disney
The Dino Institute gift shop next to the ride was also VERY busy as folks crowded in to buy up the last of the Dinosaur-related souvenirs. There was a pretty long line in the shop, too.
Long line at the shop
The overall vibe was nostalgic and a little sad, but it seems like everyone has come to peace with the fact that the ride is closing. We also spoke with Cast Members who are working on the ride. We were also told that the Wilderness Explorer station would be relocated to another location in the park.
The Wilderness Explorer station will be relocated
Some super DinoLand and Dinosaur fans showed up in costumes, which we ALWAYS love to see. Check out Instagrammers @itstoughtobeabailey and @knife_chamber!
Fans are dressing up for the occasion!
We also learned about a big Dr. Seeker meet-up and photo shoot in front of the ride, and we could NOT wait to see everyone dressed up like our favorite thrill-seeking Dino Institute employee.
Dr. Seekers everywhere
Towards the end of the night, we went back in an attempt to be one of the final riders, and the wait was 100 minutes right at 8 PM when we got in line.
The end of the line!
It was really neat to see the attraction’s exterior lit up one final time, although it was bittersweet as well!
All lit up!
By the time we made it inside, we’d been in line for 70 minutes, and the Cast Members had done a great job of hiding how long the line really was from guests just getting in line! It was a lot of twisting and turning, but worth it to be one of the last people to ride this iconic attraction.
Winding our way outside
It was around 9:30 PM when our ride was finished, and as we walked out of the ride area, we spotted some super cute dinosaur leaf art, thanks to custodial Cast Members who really make incredible magic.
Dinosaur leaf art!
Why is our beloved DinoLand closing? It’s being transformed into Pueblo Esperanza, the Tropical Americas-themed land. Beyond DINOSAUR turning into an Indiana Jones attraction, there will also be an Encanto ride where you can enter Casita, and a carousel with tons of different animals as the seats. I’m excited for the dining and shopping, too.
@Disney
Rest in peace, DinoLand. We will miss you dearly. Make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more of the best Disney news. We’re in the parks every day, sharing everything you need to know before your next trip.
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RIP the weakest land in Animal Kingdom. The fans never really took to this one, though Dinosaur was always popular (I distinctly remember the wait time being 40+ every time I went…). I remember seeing the entrance to Restaurantosaurus many times and going into that first room, but never took time to explore the actual layout for YEARS- on my second-last trip, I strolled down the aisles and realized this thing was ENORMOUS, with unique section after unique section! I was shocked it was so big and so detailed. On my last trip, I was a little too busy to check it out so I figured “next time”… and now it’s gone, haha. Oh well!
Hopefully they won’t cheap out on Encanto’s stuff and all the Tropical attractions! Dinoland was always considered a disappointment (cheap carnival rides may be “on theme” but they’re pretty weak compared to the Disney standard, and I really think 90% of people don’t care about the “story” of why it looks cheap). Though the fossils and such in the Dinosaur Institute were awesome- I wonder where those will all end up? Split up and moved around or put somewhere else in the park?
It is sad. I will miss Dinosaur. The ride was developed during Disney’s Second Golden Age. I loved the pre ride video that provided the setting and the context for what you were about to experience, just like Test Track 1.0. I think I will miss Dr. Seeker the most, and the additional passenger, extra-large. How clever. Much thought and imagination went into this ride. I am hoping the new Indiana Jones ride will be great also.